In Haiti they are called “Gingerbread Houses,” large, ornate residences that got their name because they reminded tourists of houses from Victorian-era England. They exhibit intricate ornamentation and steeply pitched roofs and are one of the symbols of Haiti’s architectural heritage.

Haiti’s catastrophic earthquake in 2010 made many realize it was important to restore and preserve these architectural gems, many of which have been demolished and replaced with homes made with slabs of concrete.

About 200 “Gingerbread Houses” survive in downtown Port-au-Prince.

Come visit some Haitian inhabitants as they open their homes to visitors to help promote and protect these beautiful buildings.

Preserving Haiti’s gingerbread houses

In Haiti they are called “Gingerbread Houses,” large, ornate residences that got their name because they reminded tourists of houses from Victorian-era England. They exhibit intricate ornamentation and steeply pitched roofs and are one of the symbols of Haiti’s architectural heritage.

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